The Big Lake baseball team picked up its first win of the season last Friday thanks to an outstanding effort by pitcher Owen Wilczek.

The hard-throwing sophomore scattered seven hits and shut out Chisago Lakes, 1-0.

The Hornets didn’t do much on offense, but it was enough to get the win. Big Lake had multiple scoring chances with three hits, four walks and four batters being hit by pitches. But they left 11 men on base in the game.

Left fielder Connor Stukenholtz singled in the fourth and stole a base. He came around to score the only run of the game.  

Meanwhile, Wilczek was keeping Chicago Lake hitters off balance. He went the distance, walking just one batter and striking out 10.

The Hornets didn’t fare as well in their first two games of the season.

Last Tuesday, Big Lake scored first but never led after that in a 6-4 loss to North Branch at home.

Jackson Laroche walked in the second inning, reached third on an error and scored on a double steal.

But the Vikings reached Wilczek for three runs in the fourth and another in the fifth. Laroche came in to pitch in the fifth and had control problems, walking three batters before being relieved by Nehemiah Rousu in the sixth. The Vikings plated two more runs before the inning was over.

Wilczek took the loss. He allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits in 4.1 innings. He walked three and struck out eight.

At the plate, Wilczek had a hit and drove in two runs. Cooper Cusick singled twice and scored a run. Laroche walked twice and scored two runs. Isaiah Terlinden singled, walked and scored a run. Trenton Throolin singled, walked and drove in a run.

Big Lake took a trouncing last Thursday, 16-0 to Princeton. The Hornets got just one hit in the game by Throolin.

Terlinden started on the mound and had trouble from the start. He allowed five hits and walked six batters before being relieved in the third inning by Jeffery Wanhala. Terlinden was charged with nine runs (three earned) as Big Lake’s defense committed five errors in the game.

Rousu and Jason Skoglund also pitched in relief. The game was called after five innings.

 The Hornets played Monticello Thursday, results next week. They host Maple Lake  Monday, Annandale Tuesday and Becker Thursday, all games starting at 4:30 p.m.